In the last 68 years, only four people have held the office of Northumberland County prothonotary and clerk of courts (Although the complete name accurately refers to two combined functions under one position, we'll call the office "prothonotary" for short).
Since 1945, the average tenure per prothonotary has been 17 years. To enjoy that level of job security, you usually have to marry the boss's daughter.
The only drawback to this longevity, of course, is that every four years, the prothonotary has to face the voters. But because the functions of the office on the civil side (prothonotary) and criminal side (clerk of courts) are service-oriented and generally non-controversial, and since prothonotaries have traditionally been genuine "people persons," incumbents have always been the heavy favorites to win re-election.
A bit of history
To set the stage for the 2013 prothonotary's race:
- The office has been in Republican hands since the 1969 election.
Democrat Larry Snyder, of Coal Township, a wounded World War II veteran, confounded county political experts with his upset win in 1945 over two-term Republican Benjamin F. Tiley. Snyder served six terms during the days when Republicans held sway before losing to Harry Wallick in 1969. (Incidentally, Snyder made a quick comeback with his election as county treasurer in 1971.)
The prothonotary's office has stayed Republican ever since Wallick's election. Suzanne Vastine Smith was appointed in 1985 when Wallick retired and she then served, following subsequent re-elections, until her death in 2006. Next in the office was Kathleen Wolfe Strausser, who was appointed in 2006, elected in 2007 for the balance of that term and then re-elected in 2009.
- This year will mark the first election since 1937 in which the incumbent prothonotary is not a candidate for re-election. Strausser is not seeking another term.
- There are three candidates hoping to succeed her: Meg Bartos, of Mount Carmel, who was also a candidate for prothonotary in the 2009 primary, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The Republican primary pits Jamie Saleski, of Coal Township, a veteran staff member in the office, against Justin Dunkelberger, currently a Point Township supervisor.
No party endorsement
The Republican race for prothonotary is the only contested primary at the county level, and, as such, it is certain to draw the lion's share of attention between now and May 21. The looming Republican Party battle is somewhat reminiscent of the GOP primary in 1985 in which Vastine Smith, as the appointed incumbent, defeated William Jacoby, of Mount Carmel, a long-time deputy in the office.
In the 1985 primary, Jacoby had the experience and office know-how, but Vastine Smith won because she had the strong backing of the Northumberland County Republican Committee. Organizational support will not be a factor this year, however. Beth Kremer, county Republican chairman, said the party typically does not take sides in contested primaries. So there will be no party endorsement.
"We will be 100 percent behind whoever wins (the Republican nomination)," Kremer said. Kremer expressed confidence in the party's chances to retain the prothonotary's office, no matter who wins the nomination.
"We have two good candidates," she said. "Either one will win in November."
Justin Dunkelberger
The primary campaign could be a heated one, since Dunkelberger has been critical of Strausser's performance in office and Saleski is a staunch defender of how well the office has performed despite budgetary and staffing reductions that she notes were forced on the office.
In a statement in March announcing his candidacy, Dunkelberger vowed to "return accountability and trust" to the office. He cited legal disputes in 2010, the firing of a deputy for theft in 2011, revelations about $17 million in uncollected fees, fines and restitution over several years and disputes between Strausser and the county commissioners over staffing and budgetary issues. In a phone interview this week, he said the prothonotary's office had a $52,000 deficit in 2012, the result of being under budget in collections.
"Basically, the office is not even collecting enough money to support its own payroll," Dunkelberger remarked. "It is supposed to be self-sufficient."
Dunkelberger, who works as an engineering consultant, said he would like to see the restoration of services that were eliminated, such as passports. The loss of passport services cost the office $27,000 per year in revenue, he said. He said that, working with the county commissioners, he will look at additional revenue streams and investigate ways to improve the functionality of the office.
Dunkelberger said his candidacy was encouraged by people in the county administration building as well as other public officials and county employees. He said he has a "great working relationship" with all three commissioners.
Jamie Saleski
Saleski, who has worked in the prothonotary's office for six years, said the office has been hampered by major cuts in staffing. She noted that the 2007 complement of eight full-time employees, one part-time and two deputies has been drastically reduced to just four employees and one deputy. The cuts have put a strain on the remaining workers, Saleski said. "Court cost collections are no longer in the prothonotary's hands," she noted. "The office doesn't have the manpower or the resources to handle them."
Saleski, who never ran for office before and insists she is "not a politician," said she decided to become a candidate because she understands how the office functions and appreciates how hard the staff works every day.
"I have been there six years, and I am the only candidate with this experience," Saleski remarked. "I know the judges and the other officeholders, and I work well with them on a day-to-day basis."
Despite the staffing challenges, Saleski vows to work to continually improve the office. In particular, her goal is to make more information available online for the convenience of those who use the office's services.
"I refuse to make promises," Saleski said. "I just want to do what is best for the office. We are down to the bare bones, and it has become harder to get the work done. I am willing to stand up to the commissioners and anyone else (for the sake of the office)."
Meg Bartos
Bartos, who said she respects the office staff for the job it is doing, believes it is time for a fresh approach. She said her involvement with the legal profession, through a paralegal certification obtained from Penn State University, past employment in a district magistrate's office, private law firms and the Columbia County district attorney's office, plus her work on economic development and business reorganization projects have all provided her with a lifetime of experience that is relevant to effective management of the prothonotary's office.
"I understand there are budgetary constraints, but there may also be funding opportunities," Bartos remarked. She commented on the benefits of sharing ideas with prothonotaries from other counties and said it is important, as much as possible, to use technology to the best possible advantage, for the convenience of office clients and to reduce the staff workload.
Bartos, who operates her own consulting firm that serves clients in both the public and private sectors, said she will mount a vigorous campaign to inform voters of her qualifications and career experience. She believes the election is "absolutely winnable," for her, despite the office's long history of Republican control.
The three candidates - Saleski, Dunkelberger and Bartos - have all promised to be "full-time" and "hands on."